The concrete bar-wrapped tongue-and-groove pipe transmission lines that carry water to these towns are aging. FRMCD, as well as many other government constructed water distribution systems developed in postwar years, sorely lacked funding to install main valves in their systems to isolate the towns being served. With the passage of time, erosion of the concrete pipe caused leakages.
High pressure and reverse flows cause fittings failures and, until recently, whenever a leak occurred, standard operating procedure necessitated shutting down the entire system to make repairs. Clearly, a more effective alternative was needed for uninterrupted water delivery.
Beginning late-2013, pipeline repairs were made at FRMCD that included the installation of Mueller/Pratt Butterfly 150B 18-, 24- and 30-inch 150psi butterfly isolation valves at each point where a line enters a city. Designed specifically for the waterworks industry, Pratt butterfly valves offer the ruggedness and reliability required for buried service. The body-mounted elastomeric seat has ridges, which provide multiple sealing lines and permit higher levels of radial compression. As a result, stress in the seat material is reduced, allowing lower seating torques and optimal sealing action.